Friday, May 22, 2009

Today's photo hails from 1974 and shows the Leisure World Community Gardens in what is now Laguna Woods. Notice that the hills beyond the golf course are still unblemished by construction..I'm sharing this photo because of its source rather than its scintillating subject matter. I found it -- along with a stack of similar 8x10s and a bunch of news clippings about early Leisure World activities -- in a cardboard box at a particularly ratty stall at the Goldenwest College Swap Meet. I bought the whole bunch for $1 and donated it to the Orange County Archives. Just goes to show that you can find worthwhile local historical documents almost anywhere..

The City of Newport Beach is in talks with a developer to sell the Balboa Marketbuilding (on E. Balboa Blvd and Washington St), which will likely become a parking lot. The art deco building originally opened as a Safeway in 1938. Call it one more nail in the coffin for Balboa's charm and historical fabric.

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The Seal Beach Historical Society finished spiffing up their Red Car Museum and will have a grand reopening shin-dig on June 13, noon to 3pm. The museum is also open the second and 4th Sat. and Sun. of every month, during the same hours..Ever think about joining (or learning more about) the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society? Then you might want to attend their "June Mixer," on June 11, from 5pm until dark, at the O'Neil Museum, 31831 Los Rios St. You must, however, RSVP for this event, or they won't have enough food and drinks for everyone. RSVP to (949) 493-8444. The historic, newly-restored, Arley Forster Leck House will be open for tours during this event..Now that GeoCities is defunct, DaraleeOta is moving her Olive Through The Ages website to a new address: http://livingbranch.tripod.com/olive/.

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